Méricourt cut a unique figure in a crowd, with her preferred outfit featuring a riding habit, man's hat, and pistols. In the early days of the revolution, she regularly attended the National Assembly, watching from the galleries, and following it when it moved from Versailles to Paris.

Méricourt left Paris in 1790, and was arrested by the Austrians, who would later release her. She returned to Paris in 1792, eagerly re-joining the revolutionary cause. Her imprisonment increased her notoriety and she was invited to speak at the Jacobin club.

She became an ardent supporter of Brissot and the Girondists, which led to her being attacked and beaten by a group of Jacobins in 1793.